"Mark Darrah's A Catalogue of Common People is anything but common itself. It is an extraordinary collection of beautifully constructed, thoughtful essays that resonant with humor, insight, and compassion. If there is such a thing as a collective voice for the dreams and misgivings we all share, then Darrah has captured it with eloquence." Teresa Miller, author of Remnants of Glory. "Do not let the title fool you-A Catalogue of Common People is an uncommonly good book. Written by Mark Darrah in plainspoken yet compelling prose, these are the stories of people we all know and others we hope to meet. But beware This book is as seductive as grandma's peanut brittle. Once you start reading, you won't stop. Take it from someone who knows and now craves a second helping." Michael Wallis, Best-selling author "Rich with insight and nostalgia, shot through with a kind of exquisite melancholia, and filled to the brim with an optimism that never fails to renew itself-even against long odds-Mark Darrah's A Catalogue of Common People stays with you long after the last page is turned. To call it a celebration of the commonplace would be doing it a disservice; there's far more than a celebration going on here, and none of it is commonplace. Taken together, these wonderful little vignettes add up to something greater: an exploration of what it means to be a thinking and feeling human being in 21st Century America." John Wooley, author of Shot in Oklahoma: A Century of Sooner State Cinema and popular host of "Swing on This," a radio show celebrating the legacy of western swing.